Lake Elsinore shifts focus of East Lake plan from rooftops to extreme sports

Lake Elsinore has charted a new course for a massive development on the shores of the city’s namesake lake that could make it even more of an extreme sports center than it is now.

The City Council voted Tuesday, Nov. 28, to cut in half the number of homes that can be built through the 2,977-acre East Lake Specific Plan, and to shift the development’s focus to action sports-oriented tourism and recreation.

“This is the action sports capital of the world,” said Grant Taylor, community development director.

And officials say the changes will ensure Lake Elsinore remains a center for the activities that shape the city’s image.

The city is a mecca for such risky sports as high-speed boating and water skiing, motocross racing, hang gliding, and skydiving. “City of Lake Elsinore: Dream Extreme” slogans adorn freeway signs and the wall behind the council dais at City Hall.

The plan covers an area that is mostly undeveloped and situated between the lake’s southeastern side and the city’s boundary with Wildomar.

On Tuesday, the council voted 5-0 to change the East Lake plan for the 10th time since its adoption in 1993 and pass related measures.

Councilman Steve Manos said what was on the books wasn’t realistic, while the revised plan is. And he said the new plan will pave the way for development to take place on a large scale in an area local officials call the Back Basin.

“It’s better for the future,” Manos said.

‘Monstrous job’

Councilman Daryl Hickman applauded the staff for completing a major overhaul that had been in the works for the better part of two years.

“This was a monstrous job,” Hickman said.

Perhaps the most monstrous change is in rooftops.

Planning Manager Richard MacHott, who guided the project, said the plan earlier called for as many as 7,121 houses and […]